During the “Is Mobile vs. Console the Right Question” chat at GamesBeat 2013 on Wednesday morning, the former chief executive officer of video game publisher Electronic Arts — and now an investor in game companies — said Rockstar Games’ massive launch of GTA is a singular event not just in gaming but media. Publisher Take-Two Interactive revealed Tuesday that it had sold 29 million copies of the open-world game since its Sept. 17 release.

“[Grand Theft Auto V] shows up as the largest entertainment launch in history, going back to the 1800s and A Tale of Two Cities,” Riccitiello said. “It’s bigger than Star Wars. It’s twice the size of the Super Bowl.”

We’ll have more on Riccitiello’s statistic-rich presentation later this morning on GamesBeat.

More information:

The Rockstar Games label was founded in 1998 to create innovative and progressive interactive entertainment. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.... read more »

John Riccitiello served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Electronic Arts (EA) from 1997 to 2004, then later CEO of Electronic Arts (EA) from 2007 to 2013. Prior to re-joining EA, he was a co-founder and Managing Partner at E... read more »